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TASK PROVES TOO GREAT TOR PHIL FINCH. Cigarlighter, With a Big Weight Concession, Beats the Crescent Park Champion News ahd Gossip. New Orleans, La., February S. With a weiglit concession of forty-three pounds iu his favor, Cigar-lighter defeated Phil Finch, the hitherto undisputed Crescent Park champion in rather easy fashion today. Though beaten, Phil Finch was by no means disgraced. The task set for him was by far the toughest he lias had to tackle In his racing career. He performed impressively, but the sticky track, combined with a weak rider, proved his undoing. Cigarllghter ran to his best form and was the medium of quite a coup by his backers. Favorites and outsiders divided the card today, and if there was any advantage In a speculative way the laurels rested with the twenty-one books that did business tills afternoon. J. O. Keene arrived today from Memphis. He says he will ship sixteen horses to Oaklawn. The lot will include sis old horses and ten youngsters. About 150 other horses now wintering at Montgomery Park will, he said, be shipped to the Springs. Commenting on the two-year-olds quartered at Montgomery Park he expressed the belief that the band comprising the string of Louis Cella are the best that were ever trained at the Memphis track. Jockey Itadtke refrained from riding today. He has a fractured thumb as the result of the fall with Lady Free Kulght. A carload of horses the property of various owners was shipped today to Hot Springs. Saulsberry, which graduated from the maiden ranks in the opening race was, us a two-year-old, considered a great racing prospect, lie was then the property of Ed Alvey, of Louisville and was trained by "Brown Dick." He was shipped to New York, where a big killing with him was planned, but the horse failed to run tip to his work and was badly beaten. The report that John Mayberry would resume the handling of C. It. Ellisons horses was denied by Ellison tonight. George P. Brazier, who has had charge of the Ellison horses since Mayberry left the stable last year, will continue as trainer. With improvement in the weather came improvement in the attendance at City Park this afternoon. There were heavy rains last night, but there was sunshine today. In the two-year-old race llrst on the card Blue Bale showed himself to be a rare good mud runner by winning In a romp and running the half mile in :50J. Blue Dale is a good looking colt and is bred to run in the mud, being by the late D. D. Withers famous old mud rainier Faverdale and he by Sensation, another great horse In heavy going. J. H. Baker sold to J. Holland this morning the three-year-old colt Knickerbocker. The price paid - - --- var0Cv"! --
